It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

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And my kitchen's on its way to looking like a cookie factory! Right here we have Chai Spice Gingerbread Rounds with a variety of decor.

I thought I'd save myself some time Sunday night (these are for me, not for clients) so I bought Wilton Cookie Icing at Michael's instead of making my own multiple batches of different colored royal icing. Well, it was a pain anyway. I was not thrilled w/ the cookie icing bottles. They were much too runny. I ended up pouring some into a bowl, adding powdered sugar to increase the stability, and then using a piping bag. SO MUCH FOR TIME SAVING TACTICS! And I had such wonderful dreams of cute little faces and fabulous designs. I guess it'll just have to wait until next time!

On a side note, the taste of the cookie icing was just fine if you're curious. So in that regard, it's alright. Just not if you want quality control of your design!

One more thing. You might be like "Chai spice gingerbread rounds? But how can I make chai spice gingerbread rounds myself?" Easy. Add cardamom. The spices in most gingerbread recipes are already pretty close to chai. What really clinches it is adding cardamom. I used Martha Stewart's gingerbread recipe from her Baking Handbook and added 1.5 tsp of powdered cardamom. It added a very wonderful flavor. Just enough to notice, but not too much to over-power. However, you can add as much as you desire! Your cookies, your rules!

Melinda & Matt's Wedding at La Scala

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A few weeks ago I had an order for a wedding reception held at La Scala in Dublin. Melinda and Matt married in TN several weeks earlier, then held a local reception for their loved ones who didn't attend the event down south. Melinda is actually a friend of a friend. She was on the hunt for cupcakes for her wedding reception but was having trouble finding ones that were both super delicious and super cute. I understand your plight, Melinda! That's why I'm here! Problem was, I've never met Melinda. I didn't even know she existed. Thankfully, I have a good friend who discussed the cupcake dilemma with her and told her "HANG ON, I GOT THIS!" She passed along my information and the rest is history. The official order was for 10 dozen cupcakes plus one small cake for them to cut. Thank you Sarah for representing and thank you to Melinda and Matt for having me be a part of their fabulous event!

I've heard of La Scala before, but I have never been so I didn't know what to expect. I was impressed. The room where the event was held was gorgeous. Gorgeous bar. Fabulous chandlier. High ceilings. Wood accents. It was really lovely. So ladies (and gents), if you're looking for a reception venue, take a look at La Scala's available spaces. I can't say anything for the food, but as far as aesthetic goes, it's gorg.

Forgive the quality of the photos. Since I was in a rush to get the cupcakes and cake to the venue, I of course didn't have my mind on "PHOTOSHOOT!" There are also a few from the aforementioned friend's iPhone, so bear with me please. But the pics give you an idea. :-)

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Lucky for me, since my friends are friends w/ the couple, Kevin was kind enough to show me the comments from her Facebook post about the reception. I love the enthusiasm.